Fix Perception gets Fuel

Update: 7/22, 9:00 am:
I won't add links to all of the articles posted about this incident; but, here's one I just read: "NBA referees dealing with questions of credibility"


Yesterday, basketball fans (sports fans in general) who believe professional basketball is fixed and referees intentionally make bad calls, received fuel to their proverbial fire with the news an NBA referee, reportedly Tim Donaghy, is under investigation for allegedly betting on NBA games in which he officiated during the 2005 - 2006 and 2006 - 2007 seasons.

For years, I've heard people call into sports talk shows stating an NBA playoff series will go six or seven "because the refs will make sure of it" or "the sponsors have to get their money's worth". When I was a kid, I thought the refs "had it in" for my favorite team; but, as I got older, I stopped believing those perceptions; but, clearly numerous people share that opinion.

According to this AP article, people studying Donaghy's games might have noticed some trends regarding his officiating the last two seasons.

When the home team was favored by 0-4 1/2 points, it went 5-12 against the spread in games officiated by Donaghy this season, according to Covers.com, a Web site that tracks referee trends. Home underdogs were 1-7 against the spread when it was 5-9.5 points.

Donaghy was part of a crew working the Heat-Knicks game in New York in February when the Knicks shot 39 free throws to the Heat's eight, technical fouls were called on Heat coach Pat Riley and assistant Ron Rothstein, and the Knicks won by six. New York was favored by 4 1/2 .

Despite NBA Commissioner David Stern's statement on the investigation, the NBA will have a very difficult time dismissing this news as an isolated incident. Unless Donaghy constantly kept to himself and never spoke to his fellow officials before, during, and after games, other referees must have, at the very least, talked with Donaghy when they questioned some of his decisions during the games.

Donaghy has given a black eye to all NBA referees. Referees were hardly trusted by most basketball fans to make the correct calls; but, thanks to Donaghy, whatever trust fans did have for the refs has completely disappeared.